Entries in Creativity
(5)

This concept is courtesy of designer Emilie Voirin. Visit her website, and you can meander your way to her Kickstarter campaign, where you will find her vision has been funded: the installation of a "human scale" version at Southwark Cathedral in London. Choose your medium, beechwood or brass.

As I have cultivated a life of reading, I have learned a few lessons. For now, I will expound upon three. Then, you will find a list of 75 books that have helped me on my journey chasing after Jesus.

First, what C. S. Lewis wrote concerning the reading of old books is true, in that the ancient texts show us the biases and shortsightedness of our own age, as well as underscore where we have found solid footing. Don't read the prominent titles in the Christian Living section of the bookstores; dig deeper. Dare yourself to read Calvin and Wesley and Luther, and beyond them Augustine and Athanasius, the Didache and the Church Fathers.

Secondly, it is wise to keep a notebook handy when you read, and mark a page "to explore later", wherein you can record all the titles to which great authors make passing references, or those works buried within the footnotes that scream your name and ask for you to chase. I have become accustomed to following the breadcrumbs, and while on occasion I've found the trail fade and have turned back, more often I have found the morsels more satisfying the further down the path I'm led.

This second bit of advice led me to works like Watership Down and Saint Maybe, books I read because they were referenced within theological essays. It also led me to Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, a play I never explored in high school, after it was referenced in a compelling way within the context of a sermon. Books seem to work their way in to my life, and I am always searching for great titles. Bibliographies have become great friends, and as time has passed, more and more names I find there are familiar.

Thirdly, I would recommend aligning yourself with others who read great books, preferably those who you may see from time to time, so that the great ideas can enter in to conversation, and the truths of any book, whether it be fiction or nonfiction, can be wrestled with in community. As much as I love the realm of ideas, I have never lost sight of the reality that it is the life that counts. A great scholar is not necessarily a great saint. Let what you learn transform your life, with love of God and neighbor being your highest aspiration.

These lessons are not exhaustive; more could be said. But they make for an adequate beginning. The life of study, I believe, is necessary for every Christian. Scripture is our foundation, but the Great Tradition also serves to build us up, as other Christians throughout history have sought to know and serve Jesus faithfully, and have left behind wisdom for us to explore and apply and take back to Scripture as we prayerfully discern what aligns and what stands askew. Learning is a constant wrestling with God; we are all like Jacob.

Since you asked me about the "great books" I have read, I have listed Christian books and others that are not explicitly so, but have taught me lessons or given me some insight in to our world. I'd rather not remain in the Christian ghetto. Like other evangelicals, I have attempted to maintain an "engaged orthodoxy", pursuing sound doctrine and a greater understanding of the truths of the faith, all while remaining cognizant of the world we live in.

Finally, if this list is too overwhelming, you may want to begin by browsing my recommendations for "Practical Approaches to Christian Spiritual Growth." You may also want to consult Renovare's 25 Books Every Christian Should Read, some of which are available for download, for free.

Blessings as you chase after Jesus. Hopefully some of these books will help you on the way. And of course, if you ever wish to discuss any of these titles, you know where to find me.

In Christ,

BAS

The Five Most Important Books I Have Read Apart from Holy Scripture

Thomas A’Kempis, The Imitation of Christ (Dover Thrift Editions)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

Stanley Hauerwas, A Community of Character: Toward a Constructive Christian Social Ethic

Check it out. This book is filled with wisdom, humor, and counter-intuitive instruction for those leading businesses, churches, and families. There is also a great deal of guidance for individuals seeking to express themselves creatively in our world.

I recommended this book to friends of mine who are church leaders, even though the book doesn't address churches directly. The book challenges the paradigms that dominate organizations, and creates space for everyone to be an innovator in ways large and small.

The Atlantic recently filed a short, engaging piece on the newly opened Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, located in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Hampton Stevens explains how this investment is important for the city in ways that reach beyond the arts. The presence of this structure, and the cultural events it will host, is a draw for "creative class" workers. Richard Florida and others have argued that these workers are needed for the revitalization of cities and the growth of urban economies, and therefore city governments should seek to design communities that will have appeal to these types of persons, so that a vibrant, dynamic environment might result, bringing about more innovation, more ideas, greater aesthetic beauty, and an increase in the overall quality of life.